I think we can all relate to seeing a good story done right. And if you're worldbuilding for fantasy or sci-fi, there's a good chance you've read, watched, or listened to those stories more than once (Brandon Sanderson comes to mind). But what makes good worldbuilding so good?
Strangely, it's the logic within the fantastical elements - that believability factor - that makes a world work. So, let's dive in with a few elements you might consider when developing a fantasy (or sci-fi) world from scratch.
Where to Start with Your Worldbuilding
To get started, consider these questions:
What's the climate/region?
What's the name of your world, land, or territory?
Who runs the place? What sort of governance is there?
What are your economy and resources?
What history, if any, does your land have?
What technology or magic do your people use?
How does your magic or tech influence the people or world?
What language do your people speak?
What cultures or traditions exist, or have been expunged?
How Do People Eat?
It might sound mundane at first, but how are the people in your world sustained? And maybe, to make your story more interesting, how are disruptions to this sustainability going to affect your world?
Agriculture/farming: Do they have sustainable farmland? Do they get enough rain or fertilizer?
Trade: Do they have reliable roadways? Do they transport goods via waterways, such as rivers or oceans? What happens when there's a drought or storm?
Magical means: Do the gods drop resources from the sky? If so, what payment must the people give in return? Can they magically source food from nothing? Nothing comes from nothing, so what implications does this have on the environment?
Where Do People Sleep?
Consider how people survive harsh climates, wildlife, storms, or other hardships. Most places on Earth don't have perfect under-the-stars sleeping all the time, but if your world does - why is it so perfect?
Some possible home/shelter environments could be:
Caves/underground
Huts or homes
Ships
Trees
Underwater castles
Beaver dams
Plastic bubbles
Literally anything, as long as they have the materials to build or sustain it
How Long Does it Take to Travel?
Getting from place to place should make sense. Can people fly? Drive a caravan? Teleport? Sail? Ride a horse or a dragon? However they do it, you should consider the length of time it takes to get there and the resources used (if any), then keep it consistent.
A good way to maintain consistency is by establishing a scale marker on your map, showing how far, for example, a mile is and deciding based on the method of travel how long a mile will take to surpass.
Another good note if you're writing a fantasy or sci-fi story is to decide what measurements you'll use for distance, and keep to it. Examples are:
Miles
Kilometers
Lightyears
Lobsters
Who Runs the Place?
Is there an evil ruler wreaking havoc on the lands, or does a beautiful democracy roam free? Even if the political structure doesn't play a huge role in your story or TTRPG campaign, it's good to know how things run. For example, if someone is brutally murdered, will there be an investigation? A trial? An execution? Who upholds the law? Do your people pay taxes? These are all good things to consider.
These are just some examples of political structures your world might have, and it could be more than one:
Monarchy
Democracy
Confederation
Authoritarianism
Dictatorship
Oligarchy
What are the Languages, Cultures and Histories?
The memory of history might not be the same for everybody. As with the real world, there are stories told differently depending on where you are. Consider how people communicate, what or whom they worship, and how they carry out their traditions.
These are some potential cultural traditions to consider:
Festivals and holidays
Songs and dances
Gift giving
Ceremonies (weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc.)
Stories, epics or poems
Just have fun and keep going
Worldbuilding can be incredibly fun, and also incredibly exhausting. Consider your technology, magic, culture, travel, food and shelter, languages, political structure and so on. But also, just have fun, and take your time exploring your fantastical, made-up world!
And to end, here's my little plug: Do you want your map digitally drawn into a custom sci-fi or fantasy map? Then check out my custom design work.
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